Thermograpy, which maps body surface temperature, has been proposed as a safe, economic and effective diagnostic test for lumbar radiculopathy.

This study involves the relative value of digital infrared thermographic imaging as compared to CT-myelograpy and electromyography in examination of 44 patients with low back pain who have received conservative treatment for more than 3 months after industrial accident.

The results were as follows:

1) In comparing CT-myelograpy with the electromyography and digital infrared thermographic imaging in lumbar herniated nucleus pulposus, there was a slightly better percentage of agreement between the CT-myelograpy and the electromyography(89%) than exists with digital infrared thermographic imaging.

2) Of 10 patients with specific nerve root compression due to lumbar herniated nucleus pulposus on CT-myelograpy, electromyography was abnormal in 9 patients but digital infrared thermographic imaging was abnormal in only 7 patients.

Thermography, though a simple and less invasive procedure with a potential of usefulness for detecting lumbar herniated nucleus pulposus, appears to have limitation in differentiating the exact nerve root and need to be supplemented by other electrophysiologic tests.